It's hard to believe that I have not only finished my first year of Nursing school, but that I have now been on my college journey for 2 years!!
Let me go back to the beginning. I got married when I was 18, my Senior year of high school to be exact, and contrary to popular belief or assumption, we were NOT pregnant lol. We wanted to get married and that's that! I think the fact that we're about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary speaks for itself. ;)
Anyway...I was always a very good student, spent my life in private school and was proud of all the accomplishments I had made. Life got complicated and being on my own, making my own way and doing it on my terms became the MOST important thing to me. Bill and I got our own apartment and I made the decision to drop out of high school in order to work full time. I was a straight A student, I just felt that my time was better spent working then going to school. I have never regretted this decision nor any decision I have made since. We got married and decided we wanted to have kids right away (I was 19 with my first and 21 with my second) and we both knew that me staying at home with them was top priority for both of us, regardless of what sacrifices needed to be made. Believe me, there were a lot. Bill joining the Army was definitely the biggest blessing, yet biggest sacrifice we made for our family.
We had a plan and we ALWAYS stick to our plans! I would stay home with the kids until they were both in school, then I would go back to school to move our family into the next chapter of our lives. So I stayed home full time for 7 years before college ever came into the picture.
I felt very judged for staying home, never understood why my decisions for my family were of any concern to others. The stereotype of staying at home is by far the DUMBEST one there is. To assume a women is stupid, can't make it in the work force, or lazy because she stays home makes me beyond angry and says a lot about the people making those assumptions.
When it came time for me to start college I felt I had something to prove, I knew what I was capable of but to others I was just a young, high school dropout who hadn't "worked" in 7 years. I have never cared what people thought of me before, but for some reason my intellect being judged really bothered me.
One day I decided I needed to get my GED because the dream of going to college was becoming more of a reality and I needed to get my ducks in a row. I called that day (2009) to see when the next testing date was, it was in 1 week. I decided it's now or never and put my name on the list. I spent that week freshening up on my algebra by taking a couple of online tests, showed up the next week and after being mistaken for the instructor (Ha!), blew that test out of water making high enough scores to receive a 2 year scholarship. I have to say that the handwritten note from the instructor about my scores made far more of an impact then she will ever realize! For the first time in the 7 years, since leaving high school, I felt like someone saw what I could do and gave me the confidence to believe I really could do this.
I took my new found confidence and registered for my first ever college classes for the Fall of 2010 (talk about intimidating!!). Being a total college virgin I had no clue what I was doing! I looked up what I needed for Nursing school and signed up for 5 classes + a lab all on campus and 1 at night totaling 16 hrs (English Comp I, Human growth & Dev., College math, A&P I + Lab, & computer concepts). I was able to go to school, be out in time to pick up my youngest from pre-k at 12:45 everyday, and attend my night class 1 night/week. I finished with a solid 4.0, straight A's. WOW! I couldn't believe I did it and I was seriously proud!
During that first semester I knew I needed to get my ACT done in order to apply for Nursing school the next semester. I had never taken it before so I decided to take the first one as a trial test to see what it was all about and not put too much pressure on myself to do well. I needed a 19 to even be eligible for the program and had already planned to retake it the next month, convinced I'd bomb it. To my utter shock (seriously, I cried!) I made a 24 on my first try. All I can say is God had a plan for me and paved the way cause I couldn't have done it on my own.
Having my results in hand I knew I needed to knock out as many pre-rec's as I could the next semester and get my application in to be eligible for Fall 2011 entry into Nursing. I registered and took 14 hrs all on campus, including 2 labs and 2 night classes (Gen. Psychology, Ethics, A&P II + lab, Microbiology + lab). I had been told I was nuts for taking Micro and A&P II together and looking back, I was, but I finished out still holding that 4.0. I have to give a HUGE shout out to my A&P/Micro professor, Dr. Shaffer, because not only is he the best teacher on campus he is the toughest and if it weren't for him pushing me I wouldn't have made it in Nursing school. He tested in a way unlike any class I had before him and as the semesters would pass you would see there were fewer and fewer people still standing. But the main thing he did was believe in me and NEVER took it easy on me.
I was told not to expect to get into nursing on the first try so I applied to 2 schools to up my chances. Talk about feeling humbled when I got 2 acceptance letters and had to now decide* where to go! When I read those letters and saw 800+ people had applied at each school for about 60 spots at one and about 80 at another I yet again was brought to tears. How on earth did I* do this?! Other people do this, not me. Every single piece was falling into place perfectly almost as if God was just waiting around for me to make my move.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
I chose to attend NWCC and boy did it feel good when I called to turn down my spot at the other school knowing someone who got a letter being told they were wait listed, would now get a call telling them they got a spot!
It's hard to explain how amazing this school is. I did my research and this is one of the BEST nursing schools around. Their brand new facility is being used as an example to other schools. The lab alone is enough to blow your mind, but throw in the instructors we have and it's just beyond words. To say the students of NWCC Nursing are blessed would be an understatement!
I just completed my 1st full year of Nursing school and held down solid B's both semesters. I'm finally at a point that I don't give a *&%$ what people think of me, my intellect, my decisions, or anything else. I have proven to myself* above all else that I AM capable and no one will EVER make me feel that I am not good enough or smart enough to do anything! After all, no one can make you feel inferior without your permission and I do not give my permission*
Is Nursing the hardest thing I have ever done? No. Is it the most demanding? No. Is it the most rewarding? No. Being a stay-at-home mom will always hold those titles no matter how people decide to define us. But I do not have babies anymore, they do not require what they did before. Nursing is now something that really fulfills me, challenges me, something I'm good at and most importantly, what I love to do!
These last few years, to include my husbands deployment, have taught me more then the last 20 years combined. My marriage and the choices we have made to get us to this point, have been reaffirmed. I'm proud of our journey as a family and I make no apologizes for how we've decided to do things.
My journey is not by any means rare or exceptional. I have done nothing that millions of others haven't already done. Mine is average to say the least. Some may read this and think it's no big deal at all and that's just fine, because this journey is just simply mine*
My life, my challenge, my goal, my success and I find that exceptional!
Let me go back to the beginning. I got married when I was 18, my Senior year of high school to be exact, and contrary to popular belief or assumption, we were NOT pregnant lol. We wanted to get married and that's that! I think the fact that we're about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary speaks for itself. ;)
Anyway...I was always a very good student, spent my life in private school and was proud of all the accomplishments I had made. Life got complicated and being on my own, making my own way and doing it on my terms became the MOST important thing to me. Bill and I got our own apartment and I made the decision to drop out of high school in order to work full time. I was a straight A student, I just felt that my time was better spent working then going to school. I have never regretted this decision nor any decision I have made since. We got married and decided we wanted to have kids right away (I was 19 with my first and 21 with my second) and we both knew that me staying at home with them was top priority for both of us, regardless of what sacrifices needed to be made. Believe me, there were a lot. Bill joining the Army was definitely the biggest blessing, yet biggest sacrifice we made for our family.
 |
| Stay-at-home mommy days! |
We had a plan and we ALWAYS stick to our plans! I would stay home with the kids until they were both in school, then I would go back to school to move our family into the next chapter of our lives. So I stayed home full time for 7 years before college ever came into the picture.
I felt very judged for staying home, never understood why my decisions for my family were of any concern to others. The stereotype of staying at home is by far the DUMBEST one there is. To assume a women is stupid, can't make it in the work force, or lazy because she stays home makes me beyond angry and says a lot about the people making those assumptions.
When it came time for me to start college I felt I had something to prove, I knew what I was capable of but to others I was just a young, high school dropout who hadn't "worked" in 7 years. I have never cared what people thought of me before, but for some reason my intellect being judged really bothered me.
One day I decided I needed to get my GED because the dream of going to college was becoming more of a reality and I needed to get my ducks in a row. I called that day (2009) to see when the next testing date was, it was in 1 week. I decided it's now or never and put my name on the list. I spent that week freshening up on my algebra by taking a couple of online tests, showed up the next week and after being mistaken for the instructor (Ha!), blew that test out of water making high enough scores to receive a 2 year scholarship. I have to say that the handwritten note from the instructor about my scores made far more of an impact then she will ever realize! For the first time in the 7 years, since leaving high school, I felt like someone saw what I could do and gave me the confidence to believe I really could do this.
 |
| Taken the day I received my GED! |
I took my new found confidence and registered for my first ever college classes for the Fall of 2010 (talk about intimidating!!). Being a total college virgin I had no clue what I was doing! I looked up what I needed for Nursing school and signed up for 5 classes + a lab all on campus and 1 at night totaling 16 hrs (English Comp I, Human growth & Dev., College math, A&P I + Lab, & computer concepts). I was able to go to school, be out in time to pick up my youngest from pre-k at 12:45 everyday, and attend my night class 1 night/week. I finished with a solid 4.0, straight A's. WOW! I couldn't believe I did it and I was seriously proud!
During that first semester I knew I needed to get my ACT done in order to apply for Nursing school the next semester. I had never taken it before so I decided to take the first one as a trial test to see what it was all about and not put too much pressure on myself to do well. I needed a 19 to even be eligible for the program and had already planned to retake it the next month, convinced I'd bomb it. To my utter shock (seriously, I cried!) I made a 24 on my first try. All I can say is God had a plan for me and paved the way cause I couldn't have done it on my own.
Having my results in hand I knew I needed to knock out as many pre-rec's as I could the next semester and get my application in to be eligible for Fall 2011 entry into Nursing. I registered and took 14 hrs all on campus, including 2 labs and 2 night classes (Gen. Psychology, Ethics, A&P II + lab, Microbiology + lab). I had been told I was nuts for taking Micro and A&P II together and looking back, I was, but I finished out still holding that 4.0. I have to give a HUGE shout out to my A&P/Micro professor, Dr. Shaffer, because not only is he the best teacher on campus he is the toughest and if it weren't for him pushing me I wouldn't have made it in Nursing school. He tested in a way unlike any class I had before him and as the semesters would pass you would see there were fewer and fewer people still standing. But the main thing he did was believe in me and NEVER took it easy on me.
I was told not to expect to get into nursing on the first try so I applied to 2 schools to up my chances. Talk about feeling humbled when I got 2 acceptance letters and had to now decide* where to go! When I read those letters and saw 800+ people had applied at each school for about 60 spots at one and about 80 at another I yet again was brought to tears. How on earth did I* do this?! Other people do this, not me. Every single piece was falling into place perfectly almost as if God was just waiting around for me to make my move.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
I chose to attend NWCC and boy did it feel good when I called to turn down my spot at the other school knowing someone who got a letter being told they were wait listed, would now get a call telling them they got a spot!
It's hard to explain how amazing this school is. I did my research and this is one of the BEST nursing schools around. Their brand new facility is being used as an example to other schools. The lab alone is enough to blow your mind, but throw in the instructors we have and it's just beyond words. To say the students of NWCC Nursing are blessed would be an understatement!
 |
| Some of the class of 2013! |
I just completed my 1st full year of Nursing school and held down solid B's both semesters. I'm finally at a point that I don't give a *&%$ what people think of me, my intellect, my decisions, or anything else. I have proven to myself* above all else that I AM capable and no one will EVER make me feel that I am not good enough or smart enough to do anything! After all, no one can make you feel inferior without your permission and I do not give my permission*
Is Nursing the hardest thing I have ever done? No. Is it the most demanding? No. Is it the most rewarding? No. Being a stay-at-home mom will always hold those titles no matter how people decide to define us. But I do not have babies anymore, they do not require what they did before. Nursing is now something that really fulfills me, challenges me, something I'm good at and most importantly, what I love to do!
These last few years, to include my husbands deployment, have taught me more then the last 20 years combined. My marriage and the choices we have made to get us to this point, have been reaffirmed. I'm proud of our journey as a family and I make no apologizes for how we've decided to do things.
My journey is not by any means rare or exceptional. I have done nothing that millions of others haven't already done. Mine is average to say the least. Some may read this and think it's no big deal at all and that's just fine, because this journey is just simply mine*
My life, my challenge, my goal, my success and I find that exceptional!
So proud of you! You've done an awesome job! It takes a truely dedicated person to take off of school for several years and get back in there and do so well! The fruits of your labor will truely pay off!!! Congrats mama! :)
ReplyDelete"Is Nursing the hardest thing I have ever done? No. Is it the most demanding? No. Is it the most rewarding? No. Being a stay-at-home mom will always hold those titles no matter how people decide to define us."
ReplyDeleteIf only more people "got" this. While I still carried a part-time job from home while staying home with my babies, we took a SOLID hit when I went from full-time to part-time to stay home with my babies, AND IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE.
To the haters who have EVER judged a woman for making that choice, they will one day realize that the days their children were little are far beyond them, and they won't get those days back.
I savored every . single . moment.
You are an inspiration, Angel, and an INCREDIBLY smart nursing student! You, my friend, rip the stereotypes of young adults who drop out and get married and have babies TO SHREDS!!!!!!!!!! Not many can say that they stay focused and did the right thing at such young ages.
You are far more mature than most your age, have weathered the hardships of having your solider gone and rearing not one but TWO little nuggets, and yet you get to bathe in the youth you still have. Color me jealous!!!!
XOXOX
Nic